


HOME.

by petitseok



Series: 내 편이 돼줘 (BY MY SIDE.) [1]
Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: (brief) - Freeform, Alternate Universe - Non-Famous, Anxiety, Caregiver!Mingyu, Crying, Implied/Referenced Past Abuse, M/M, Non-Sexual Age Play, Regressor!Wonwoo, lapslock
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-22
Updated: 2019-12-22
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:47:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21903220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/petitseok/pseuds/petitseok
Summary: making a funny face, scrunching his nose in distaste, the boy felt bad for the big counterpart of his brain. “all that adult stuff really stinks, huh?” he wondered, forgetting that mingyu and technically himself were still adults.even still, he couldn’t agree more. leaning over, mingyu smooched his little boy on the cheek. “sometimes,” he hummed in agreement. “but if being an adult means that i get to take care of you, then i don’t see what’s so bad about it.”// mingyu comes home, and wonwoo takes a day off to relax.
Relationships: Jeon Wonwoo/Kim Mingyu
Series: 내 편이 돼줘 (BY MY SIDE.) [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1577752
Comments: 14
Kudos: 132





	HOME.

the apartment was quiet. 

it didn’t surprise mingyu when he came home from his business trip, dropping his duffel bag with a very intentional _thud_ to announce his presence. his boyfriend was a quiet person who didn’t create a lot of excessive noise, unlike mingyu.

even still, mingyu expected a greeting, the soft shuffling of feet, the clanging of dishes in the kitchen. the tv was on, the soft drone of a documentary white noise to mingyu’s ears.

“wonwoo-hyung?” he called, wanting to hear his boyfriend’s deep and musical timbre. it never came, however, and the furrow in his brow deepened. “i’m home?” 

“hyung, i’m coming to find you.” kicking off his shoes, mingyu ventured further inside, into the living room where the couch was empty save for wonwoo’s abandoned phone. turning it on showed the unread text he sent several hours earlier.

**gyu ♡ 5:43**

_omw home bby !!_

_i’ll be there soon ;)_

mingyu drifted into their bedroom, panic building in his chest because of wonwoo’s absence. he couldn’t _imagine_ what he would do if something happened to him— was his trip stressful for him, was he waiting for him in bed, curled up, ready for some cuddles?

the bedroom was empty; wonwoo wasn’t inside. mingyu’s hand lingered on the doorknob, scanning for clues. 

their sheets were ruffled and unmade, and while it was never the cleanest, wonwoo knew how mingyu was. clothes scattered the floor, jeans and button ups in particular. 

a fleeting suspicion crossed his mind, but mingyu didn’t want to believe it. the idea of wonwoo slipping while he was away— and not _telling_ him— scared him. wonu didn’t break the rules— he _always_ told him.

if wonwoo was alone while little, there was no telling what might have happened. he could have gone out and gotten lost, hurt himself in the kitchen on accident— the list possibilities began writing itself and mingyu’s breath caught in his throat.

in the corner of the bedroom, wonwoo’s box of little things was gone. the box never left that spot— it was a general house rule of mingyu’s to leave things in their places, to stay neat. that box had his stuffed animals, books, markers, and a few clothing items. it was missing.

mingyu thought he was going to cry, wheeling around into the hallway. “wonu!” was his cry, stumbling into the kitchen. his heart nearly stopped, but there were things all over the floor. _little_ things.

the missing box sat against the kitchen island, its contents spilling from the inside. the only things still neatly tucked inside were a few coloring pages and a pacifier he hadn’t used in months. stuffed animals propped against each other on the counter, the markers were scattered over the floor, and wonie’s emergency outfit was missing with his books.

also on the floor were three packs of mint gum, each slightly different flavors, and three wrappers leading to the cranny between the fridge and the wall. it was wonu’s favorite place to hide when he was small and shy. he must have been _so_ afraid.

gum was a littlespace thing for wonwoo who needed something to occupy his mouth but felt embarrassed to need something like a pacifier. there was no doubt now that wonu had been alone, and he felt guilty with each passing second as approached the fridge.

mingyu did find wonwoo folded in the narrow space, a fresh piece of gum trapped between his lips and a small pile of books to his side. they locked eyes, mingyu’s relief becoming evident as the other blushed, shying away and holding the sweet in his fingers. 

dropping to his knees, mingyu clutched his chest, frankly exhausted over how worried he was. wonwoo was safe, though, and that was what mattered.

the older was wearing his little clothing: a loose pair of shorts and a very big, soft sweater with planets all over it. wonwoo already loved sweaters— but these shorts were different and this sweater was _special_ simply because it was too big for him. the sleeves covered his hands and it made him feel tiny. it was _wonu’s_ sweater.

mingyu, though, wasn’t so tiny. even though he only had an inch or two to brag over wonwoo, mingyu still struggled to fit in the cranny more than he did. the little giggled quietly at his grunts of effort, shimmying closer with an evidentently pleased smile.

wonwoo clung to his side to lay his head on his shoulder, holding the gum out to his boyfriend, almost as an apology. when mingyu refused politely, he chewed on it thoughtfully. maybe he would need the pacifier later.

it had been a long time since he needed it, slipped deep enough to be more unaware of what was going on. sometimes mingyu was simply afraid to let him have gum for fear that he would choke. even when wonu wasn’t very young and wasn’t rowdy, the idea was always there, so gum was special to mingyu.

“wonu missed you,” wonwoo said, hushed and _bordering_ on being completely little. wonu didn’t speak in third person, which meant that it must be big wonwoo talking, between his two headspaces. “panicked when you weren’t there to wake him, and then didn’t know how a phone works because he’s stubborn and like, a big baby without his precious gyu.”

“wonie _scared_ me,” mingyu admitted, poking his boyfriend’s side. he giggled. mingyu’s heart did a backflip. “didn’t know what to think when i couldn’t see him.”

wonwoo reached out to lace their fingers together, mumbling something about wonu being lucky he was so cute. while mingyu agreed, it must have meant that wonwoo was slowly slipping out of headspace.

although wonu had never broken a rule and mingyu was too terrified to be angry, it was still something they needed to discuss.

mingyu tapped his knee, “is it okay if i talk to wonu some more?”

nodding, wonwoo went still for a few seconds, and when he looked up at him, his gaze had brightened significantly. mingyu grinned at his expression, which only excited the little further. he was excited to have him back.

“hey, baby,” mingyu greeted, the name falling naturally from his lips. 

“gyu! dada!” wonu sat up, wrapping his arms around the taller’s neck in a strangling hug, planting a sloppy kiss on his cheek. 

“i missed you so much! hyung was being a meanie but i was scared because i couldn’t find you but now you’re here and it’s okay!” deep breath, “i promise i was good, i only had three pieces of gum this morning,” he held up four fingers, “and i didn’t eat breakfast because i know that cooking is a _big_ no-no.” 

as wonu rattled off the things he did by himself, mingyu couldn’t help but be taken aback by how much he was talking. he was a quiet kid, and the sudden energy was a lot coming from him. 

that morning had been stressful; he must have been worked up because of wonwoo’s constant anxiety, needing to let out energy somehow. because mingyu, his caregiver, was back, he had someone to unleash it onto. he wasn’t even able to get in his own _“i missed you, too.”_

as he babbled on, voice higher than usual, wonu chewed his gum, bouncing a little with each new thought. “i got dressed by myself and brushed my teeth like a good boy and then i tried to find the cartoons so i didn’t make a mess, but i didn’t remember the channel number so i found a book and came in here! 

“wonwoo-hyung won’t tell you, but he missed gyu _lots_ and he doesn’t want me to tell you either. He says i’m dumb but i’m not, right? i did all that stuff by myself! 

“i missed you dada, no one gave me hugs or breakfast and it was really lonely and quiet, but now you’re here, so we can do all kinds of cool stuff that wonwoo-hyung doesn’t want me to do during the week! it’s been _so_ long, dada!”

the boy was about to stand when mingyu pushed him back down. “woah, slow down, champ, there’s something we gotta talk about first. then, we can have all the fun you want, okay?”

wonu nodded vigorously. 

mingyu dragged the boy into his lap so that his back rested against his chest. he wasn’t experienced in having these types of conversations. wonu so rarely broke the rules that the couple didn’t even have a cohesive list of punishments for the boy.

tapping his baby’s thigh, mingyu started off small. “do you remember that one big rule wonu has to remember?”

eager to say that he did, wonu recited it for him, “always tell gyu when you’re feeling small!”

“that’s right, baby. were you feeling small this morning?”

he nodded, “super small. _tiny_. hyung misses gyu.”

because he was being so sweet, mingyu almost let it slide. there were some things, though, that were more important, like following the rules. the last thing they wanted was a repeat of this. 

“did you tell gyu that you were little?” mingyu prompted him gently.

wonu fiddled with his fingers, looking down. “no… was scared ‘cause of wonwoo.”

mingyu kissed the top of his head, rubbing his arm to comfort him. “i know, bub, it’s okay. he didn’t mean it.” it really was okay; mingyu was just a little freaked.

the caregiver pulled wonwoo closer to his chest, combing his fingers through his dark hair. he had gone quiet, and it saddened mingyu. where was his bright little boy from before?

“hyung hasn’t let me play in so long, dada,” the shorter whined, playing with the caregiver’s fingers absentmindedly.

for a few weeks, it had been clear that wonwoo needed to slip, but he was so caught up in his work and other adult-y stuff that it never came about. even if it was only now and then he asked to slip into the headspace, mingyu could see the stress building up over the last month. his trip had been the breaking point.

“he’s been busy with all that adult stuff, won. he has to have a job like me and work to do. it’s just been awhile since he was so occupied.”

making a funny face, scrunching his nose in distaste, the boy felt bad for the big counterpart of his brain. “all that adult stuff really stinks, huh?” he wondered, forgetting that mingyu and technically himself were still adults.

even still, he couldn’t agree more. leaning over, mingyu smooched his little boy on the cheek. “sometimes,” he hummed in agreement. “but if being an adult means that i get to take care of you, then i don’t see what’s so bad about it.”

wonu called him _silly_ and promised he understood and that _wonwoo will never let me break the rules again,_ so at least there was that. mingyu trusted him wholeheartedly. 

the caregiver decided that there were better things to do than sit on the floor, so he slipped out from the small space, helping wonu do the same. 

he pulled him to his unsteady feet, not trusting his balance in headspace. wonwoo fell into his chest with a smile, giggling into his shirt about how much he missed him. mingyu tickled the back of his neck just so he could do that thing where he scrunched his shoulders, protesting loudly.

when he finished teasing, mingyu walked both of them to the kitchen island, sitting the mentally younger of them onto a stool. 

mingyu examined him, flattening his unruly hair. wonu fiddled with his sleeves, shoving his hands inside of them. “you must be hungry, baby. in need of _so_ much care.” 

it was a tactic he used every time wonwoo was putting up a fight. there was no use in him saying that he didn’t need the break because he _did_ , more than anything at that moment. if it was bad enough for wonu to come out on his _own,_ then something had to be done.

babying him was a guaranteed path to littlespace, and while he was already there, it never hurt to go the extra mile. 

wonwoo whined, almost sounding big, but not quite. mingyu met his eyes and smiled; he wanted him to be as comfortable as possible. he just wanted to take _care_ of him. 

“i’ll make breakfast, okay angel? let _dada_ make us some food.”

he wasn’t planning on going crazy with the meal, or even for wonwoo to answer verbally with a barely uttered _“okay.”_

proud of him for the unexpected response, mingyu kissed him on the cheek. he turned back to the kitchen, opening cabinets to look for their favorite cereals and some bowls. it was something easy enough for them, maybe he could cut some fruit—

“ _mingyu,_ ” came the insistent whine, pulling said man away from his work. 

it was undoubtedly wonwoo, _big_ , calling for him. it made the caregiver sad. he was just trying to make him happy. didn’t wonu make him happy?

wonwoo stopped chewing his gum. his sleeves were pushed up; his eyes were pleading with him, trying to force him to understand something. 

“mingyu, there are things i have to _do_ today.” and it was wonwoo, alright— stubborn, workaholic wonwoo who didn’t know when to take a _freaking_ break.

“i was having a perfectly fine conversation with wonie,” mingyu defended himself, trying in earnest to build a case for the little one. “where did my little boy go?”

“i mean it, gyu,” wonwoo retorted, pouting in a way that showed he really didn’t. 

“so do i.”

“i’m not in headspace anymore.”

returning to the counter, mingyu raised an eyebrow in his boyfriend’s direction. “are you _sure?_ because i was talking to wonu just a minute ago and we were having a really nice conversation. did you _really_ pull out so fast like that, baby?”

wonwoo didn’t really say, just fiddled with his sleeve. he was feeling smaller. wonwoo _needed_ to feel smaller, at least for today.

mingyu leaned forward to frame wonwoo’s face in his palms, making sure he was looking at him. he was hesitant, and mingyu wanted to let him know that it was okay. “you’ll have time to work. it’s okay, sweetie, i promise. he really needs to play— he’s just a kid. he’s just a _kid_ , and he really needs this.”

and then wonwoo burst into tears, babbling until he fell little again.

reacting on instinct, the caregiver moved around the counter to stand in front of wonu, just to let him hold onto him, which he did eagerly as soon as he was within arms length of him. 

wonwoo, feeling small and vulnerable, sobbed into mingyu’s shirt, and he really didn’t mind, not sure what it was that made him this way in the first place. mingyu couldn’t tell if his tears were out of fear or relief, but they tugged at his heart nonetheless.

petting the little’s hair for awhile, mingyu let him calm down, whispering that it was okay and that he was there. when his breathing began to steady, mingyu leaned over to catch his gaze, cooing upon seeing his blotchy cheeks. 

“oh, sweetie, it’s alright,” he soothed. “do you want to wash up?”

the grasp on mingyu’s sleeve tightened, the caregiver acutely aware of its presence. “‘m hungry,” wonu mumbled, gentle voice cracking slightly between syllables.

mingyu had forgotten their breakfast, and he turned back to the counter, letting his baby follow timidly. 

while mingyu filled the mentally younger’s bowl with cereal, tossing in some blueberries and cutting up a few strawberries along with it, wonu waited patiently behind him with his chin propped on his shoulder, clutching the hem of his shirt like he might leave him.

after chiding wonu to spit out his gum, they ate together quietly, the little recovering from his episode quickly enough. mingyu ate his own bowl of cereal with milk, making sure that the other is eating correctly, which he was.

by the time they were finished, mingyu was proud of wonu for finishing by himself. he was very quiet and still compared to earlier, making the caregiver uneasy. wonu was usually very quiet, though, so he decided to refrain from asking about it. 

“i know you’re tired, bub, but i think you need to get clean.” mingyu stood in front of him, combing back his messy hair and wiping at the redness of his eyes with the pad of his thumb. wonu sniffed, scrunching up his face in a pout. “you’ll feel better afterwards,” he promised.

wonu smiled through his haze, allowing mingyu to pull him into the bathroom. he sat on the toilet, struggling to cross his legs comfortably on the seat while his caregiver turned on the shower. mingyu left briefly to fetch clothes and two towels, and wonu leaned against the wall, head thudding softly against it. 

he felt strangely content. it really had been a long time since he let gyu take care of him. wonwoo was just scared of falling behind, even at wonu’s expense— but there was no keeping him away forever.

wonwoo needed him to cope, needed him as a breather from everything else he had to deal with.

he really wanted to sleep. so much happened in one morning and although wonwoo wouldn’t be coming back until late afternoon at the earliest, wonu wanted to do nothing but rest.

the warmth of the shower barely helped with this feeling. they both cleaned themselves, mingyu helping him significantly through it, scrubbing the shampoo into his hair and washing his back. by the time he was all clean, wonu was blushing thoroughly.

but it never stopped mingyu from having a little fun with him. when drying the little’s hair, he insisted on hiding behind the towel, playing peek-a-boo and purposefully mussing up wonu’s hair with the towel until it spiked, the boy shrieking with glee in their tiny bathroom. 

mingyu’s laughter bubbled out of him, lighting up his features so he didn’t look so scary anymore. he was always sad when he was worried.

mingyu dressed himself first but with minimal effort, slipping into sweatpants and the first t-shirt he could find. 

the caregiver helped wonu in slipping into his bottoms but stopped short of giving him his sweater, asking instead if wearing one of his shirts would make him feel better. wonwoo, finding mingyu’s shirts to be well scented and comfortably big, replied immediately with an eager ‘yes please, dada.’

so, wonu shuffled into their room, pulling open mingyu’s side of the closet and stealing a long sleeved red shirt with a little green dinosaur on the pocket. the sleeves reached well past his fingertips, which was really all that mattered, and he was content.

“there you are, my clean little boy,” mingyu praised. he pinched wonwoo’s cheek, cooing when the little made a noise of protest.

“ _dada_ ,” he whined once the taller pulled away. 

“what do you want to do next?” mingyu asked him gently. “do you want to play?”

the hand carding through wonwoo’s hair was comforting, and the longer he was tired, the more little he felt. it was mingyu’s caring nature putting him at ease after a stressful morning. 

phrases of what he wanted to say swirled in his brain, but talking took effort and words failed him. wonu didn’t want to play— not until later, at least— but he wasn’t sure how to tell mingyu that.

instead, he raised a sweater paw to his eyes, rubbing at them to wipe the sleepiness away. mingyu cooed, pulled the sleeve away because it would irritate his eyes. 

in seeing how tired he was, mingyu guided wonu back to the living room where they sat on the couch, the little curled up in his lap. wonu tucked his face into his shoulder as the other turned on the tv quietly, changing to channel to a kid-friendly movie.

wonu watched through sleepy eyes, entranced with the animated characters on screen. mingyu stroked his hair, letting him relax like he needed to. there would be time to play later. 

“gyu.” mingyu hummed. “i ‘ove you.”

mingyu planted a kiss to wonu’s forehead. “i love you too, bug. love you _so_ much.”

with one hand, wonu fiddled with his caregiver’s fingers, eyes never leaving the screen as sleep gradually overtook him. becoming unaware, wonu found himself gnawing on the sleeve of his shirt, not having gum or any kind of soother to help.

noticing this, mingyu tugged the sleeve away from his mouth, torn between giving him gum or asking if he would rather use the pacifier currently sitting on the kitchen floor. 

(mingyu realized suddenly that the items were never put away; a major tripping hazard. in _his_ kitchen.)

when wonu began shifting uncomfortably, clearly too little to speak up about his problem, mingyu decided himself that the boy finally needed the blasted pacifier, no matter how much big wonwoo would grumble about it later on. there was simply no way he could stand by while his baby chewed off the sleeve of his shirt unrestricted. 

prying his boyfriend from his torso— and immediately reassuring him afterwards— mingyu crept into the kitchen, plucking the light yellow soother from the floor before glancing at the rest of the mess and sweeping that up as well. 

he washed it off in the sink, found the action a little funny considering how long it had been. nevertheless, wonie was too comfortable to think about _not_ chewing on his thumb, his lip, the sleeve of mingyu’s shirt, or gum without choking. that’s just how it was— and it didn’t bother mingyu. 

he was fine with wonwoo using the paci now and then— although he did hope it wasn’t going to be a habit in littlespace. big wonwoo wasn’t the coolest with the idea, and mingyu didn’t want to start anything he couldn’t stop, either.

mingyu returned to the couch with the pacifier, wonu sleepily resisting the thing before he finally pushed it past his lips. as soon as the taller sat down, wonu scrambled into his lap again, ready to cuddle and sleep until lunch time. 

and that’s what they did, mingyu combing through wonwoo’s hair with a fond smile as his breathing evened out, his fingers twitching now and then in sleep to curl around his shirt. 

he was finally relaxing after a hectic morning and the stressful few weeks that led up to it. he was happy, at the least content, sucking on his pacifier and sleeping the morning away. and mingyu knew that when he woke everything would be fixed and wonu would be ready to play. 

and they would be satisfied.

wonu awoke bleary-eyed with no plans of coming out of headspace, utterly at peace and unworried. 

he knew his time with his caregiver would be limited, and now he fully intended to make the most of it. big wonwoo didn’t _like_ that he was out for so long today, but that was okay because he wouldn’t be out _forever_ and wonwoo was an _adult_ and he could _deal with it_ if he was going to be a meanie about it. 

he was still sprawled over mingyu on the couch, but the caregiver had tragically succumbed to sleep as well, his head leaning against wonwoo’s for support. wonu thought he was cute even when he was sleeping, but he needed to wake him up. he was hungry. he was _lonely._

wonwoo sat up, not spitting out his pacifier yet because it wasn’t bothering him. he started poking mingyu’s cheek, and then his entire face, eventually shoving his whole hand in his face and hoping it would work. when it didn’t, he resorted to other things.

“gyu,” he whispered insistently. _“dada_ , wake up, we have to play.” wonu frowned before sitting up straight. he could do this! mingyu was just a heavy sleeper and as soon as he was awake, they could play.

“dada, dada, dada, dada, wake _up_.”

as he moved to poke him again, wonu’s hand was stopped by mingyu, who reached out to push him away, cracking an eye open to check on his baby. “so fussy,” he complained lightheartedly. “what do you need, sweetie?” 

in response, wonwoo whined loudly, too small to realize that mingyu wouldn’t be able to understand him that way. all he knew was that he needed to do something now that he was awake, whether it was playing or eating or anything in between. 

and because mingyu was his caregiver, _he_ was supposed to be the one to tell him what that was.

“it’s a good time for lunch,” he suggested. “let’s get something to eat, little one.”

so, mingyu dragged wonu back to the kitchen, stifling a yawn as he did. he made them two sandwiches, unwilling to put forth the effort and make something _too_ interesting. the baby’s is cut into four, and mingyu gives him some carrot sticks to go with it.

wonu scarfed down his meal, mingyu hovering to make sure he didn’t choke. though he didn’t say very much, there was a wide grin on the kid’s face, bouncing a little in his seat like there was music playing, but there wasn’t, just the tinkling of his dada’s voice as he made idle chatter.

“ _done!_ ” he cried decidedly after his plate was cleaned, mingyu pecking his cheek and telling him he was proud when he did.

it was a general thing for mingyu to hover around him when little, but he didn’t mind the attention at all. when mingyu coddled him, he really felt safe. that was the whole point of his littlespace, to feel protected and cared for so that he could relax.

wonu was never really sure how it came about or why his brain decided to regress, and neither was his big side, but as he waited patiently for mingyu to prepare a cool water bottle— the kind that didn’t spill easily and he could use like a sippy cup, gnawing on the plastic top without thinking— he knew this was what he needed. what _they_ needed, whoever that may entail.

mingyu barely had time to clip wonu’s paci to his shirt— just so they didn’t lose it— before the little was on his feet, snatching the water and stumbling back into the living room.

another movie had begun during their nap, the tv playing but wonwoo not quite paying attention. instead, he plopped onto the carpet and sipped quietly on his water, wide eyes watching mingyu intently and with anticipation.

neither were sure of what they were waiting for, but wonwoo had a vague idea. mingyu was in charge. he was waiting for _mingyu_.

he was improving on picking up the cues, the hints that he was making half the decisions here and that _he_ was the one charged with taking care of wonwoo instead of the little himself. and it wasn’t even too hard; but sometimes mingyu doubted.

this time, he hesitated. he didn’t know what wonwoo wanted to do, and he realized that he wasn’t going to tell him outright any time soon. 

“do you wanna watch the movie, bug?” he tried, moving on when he shook his head. “what about coloring?” 

wonwoo considered for a moment before nodding. it seemed like he wanted to stay on the floor, but with a little persuasion, he decided to sit at the kitchen island again. 

mingyu fetched the thin, colorful markers from the box of littlespace things, stopping in their bedroom to bring out the one thing they didn’t keep in the box.

sometimes, when wonwoo came out of headspace, he didn’t remember everything that happened during the time he was little, and although he can hear his little side talk, it’s not an accurate enough rendition for him to feel at ease.

he once explained it like taking a nap and sleepwalking, only to wake up somewhere completely different and have someone _else_ tell you what happened instead of knowing what you did yourself.

the journal was supposed to alleviate some of that fear on both sides of wonwoo’s brain. they could write notes to each other and effectively communicate with mingyu as a reliable middle man, in some cases. (there were multiple occasions in which little wonu forgot to, or didn’t want to, or couldn’t write, so his caregiver stepped in.)

opening the cover of the journal, one could find the couple’s rules for wonu, very loose and general but nevertheless the only thing that kept them sane.

_always tell gyu when you’re feeling small. no cooking when little; stay away from the kitchen and sharp objects. ask gyu if you need help with something. always be polite. always listen to gyu. respect big wonwoo._

admittedly, the last rule had a very bitter looking line crossed through it, but they all thought it was a very good list. 

wonu enjoyed writing about his dada and the time he got to spend with him. he also liked how much happier big wonwoo was knowing he had fun. he could color in the journal too, not having a coloring book or much printer paper around.

with mingyu by his side, wonu opened to the last page of written notes, pointing to wonwoo’s handwriting and the date that read three days ago. “can you read it, please?”

and he did.

_baby wonu — no matter how much this hyung makes fun of you or resists you, he loves you a lot. you’re very important to me. let’s not disagree, okay? — wonwoo-hyung_

“that’s very nice of him to say, isn’t it?” mingyu hummed, glancing to his boyfriend.

he stared at his own handwriting with glassy eyes, sniffling softly. in the end, wonwoo did care for him, and he told him so when things were difficult, especially between them. 

wonu remembered his hyung feeling overwhelmed that day and trying to come out so he could comfort him, only to be pushed back. it was comforting to know he felt apologetic for it, even after the tide pulled away and he had won.

“would you like to write a note? i think big wonwoo would like that.” wonu hadn’t even noticed when mingyu reached out to hold his hand, but the touch was reassuring, too. mingyu seemed to think it was a good idea, so he would write one.

once he nodded, grabbing a friendly, ocean blue marker from his pile and handing it over, mingyu asked what he wanted to say.

all wonu had to do was string the words together, so he shoved out what he wanted his big side to know. “want to say thank you for letting me ‘tay with dada and taking care of me. i got to color and to cuddle and i had a lot of fun. i want wonwoo-hyung to be happier.”

“anything else?” mingyu prompted him. 

“i love you,” he added, watched as his dada wrote the familiar phrase only to jump up when he began to draw a heart. “wait! _i_ have to draw it!” he gripped the marker in his fist, clumsily drawing a heart and smiley face, pride swelling in his chest.

mingyu let him draw, after that. the little colored to his heart’s content, his caregiver sorting through some emails as he did and looking over every so often. time passed along with a few pictures. 

eventually, wonu finished one he was especially proud of, gaining mingyu’s attention so he could see. he smiled at the pleasant stick figures that vaguely resembled the two of them, the most notable difference being their heights. 

wonu pointed to the shorter one. “hyung.” he took the nearest pink marker and carefully drew the character. 

then, he pointed to the taller one. “dada.” when he handed the marker to mingyu, he wrote his name above the drawing, too.

“ta-da!” wonu tore out the page with practiced precision, standing and holding it out. “look, dada!”

mingyu grinned, standing as well and kissing the shorter’s forehead. “you did such a great job, sweetie! it’s so beautiful! do you want me to put it on the fridge?”

he hardly needed an answer as the little’s eyes sparkled with delight. he beat him to it, skipping over to the appliance and kneeling down to the height of a child and sticking it with a magnet to the surface. mingyu felt his heart clench. 

when he popped back up with a gentle smile, wonu was restless and ready to do something else. he grabbed mingyu’s hand, pulled him into the living area and sat on the ground— his way of saying he was waiting for him.

“silly boy,” mingyu chuckled. “my silly little boy.” he leaned down and tickled at his sides, grinning as wonu giggled. 

it was beautiful. wonwoo was beautiful, in every way. there was nothing mingyu loved more than seeing him happy.

after tussling with each other, mingyu ended up sitting on the floor with wonu in his lap, their legs spread out on the carpet. mingyu kissed the back of his neck before nosing at the base of his throat. 

wonu whined— not quite upset— around his pacifier, squirming in his hold. “dada, wanna _do_ ‘omething.”

“i can take you to uncle minnie’s if you’d like,” he offered after a moment of thought. “he has your toys, remember? and you always have fun with him and shua-hyung.”

“no!” he cried with a kick of his foot. mingyu winced in sympathy for the neighbors downstairs at the thump it made. “i’m not a _baby.”_

mingyu was quick to relent. “ok,” he conceded. “how about a walk? just a short one and we can have dinner, and then you can rest some more.”

after his own period of indecision, wonu squirmed out of his arms and wiggled around until they were facing each other. he was hopeful because going outside was _certainly_ an adventure— he knew he had to be extra good for his dada.

“will we really?”

the pad of mingyu’s thumb swiped across his cheek gently, and he pecked the skin there. “Anything for you, little one.”

the red numbers of wonwoo’s bedside alarm read 4:08 in the morning, but he couldn’t go back to sleep.

instead, he cataloged every memory from yesterday morning onward, deciding how he felt about them and accounting for the gaps in his memory. 

there was a huge hole between the time just after breakfast and just before he left for a walk with mingyu. it scared him a bit, how little he must have been— was he a handle? what did he _do_? why didn’t he pull out of headspace in time to finish his work?

it built up in his mind, but wonwoo pushed back the voice telling him to relax, knowing that it would only lead to slipping again. he couldn’t do that, at least for a while. 

mingyu’s touch burned through his clothing, heat radiating through his fingertips splayed across his stomach, the hem of his t-shirt riding up. his stupid long legs remained thrown over his, further entangling their bodies together. 

wonwoo felt lost, though. he felt like he wasn’t doing enough.

with some difficult maneuvering, wonwoo released himself from his boyfriend’s grasp and slipped out of bed, shivering as his bare feet hit the wooden floorboards.

though he stirred, rolling over, mingyu did not wake. it tugged at wonwoo’s heart, seeing him. his hair flopped over his eyes, fingers curling in the bedsheet without wonwoo.

the older felt something tugging at the collar of his shirt. he unclipped the pastel yellow pacifier with a sigh and turned it over in his palm. a lion smiled at him on the end, and the little smiled tightly back. 

he slipped into the kitchen. 

the counter was still cluttered. because wonwoo knew mingyu would have a fit when he woke, he gathered the markers from the island top and placed them back in his little box. he made sure the gum packets were sealed properly and cleaned the pacifier, putting those away as well. 

the water bottle he had used still sat next to the sink, half full of water. even though he didn’t _need_ it— he could use a glass just fine— he still refilled it anyway.

closing the fridge, wonwoo noticed the piece of paper that hadn’t been there before hanging a few feet off the floor. kneeling, he could see it was something wonu drew of the two of them. the little heart beside mingyu’s name made his heart flutter.

the journal was still sitting on the table, and he flipped through the pages until he came across the latest entry transcribed by mingyu.

_wonwoo-hyung! thank you for taking care of me and letting me stay with dada! today, i got to color and take a nap, and i had a lot of fun. i want hyung to be happier these days (and so does gyu!!) i love you! —baby won_

knowing his little side felt happy helped wonwoo feel at ease. littlespace was something he relied on when his anxiety built up— no matter how much he countered it on other days. it was a part of him he couldn’t _ignore_.

taking the notebook and his water bottle, wonwoo drifted into the living room, nudging open the door to their apartment’s tiny balcony with his foot so he could sit in the threshold. if he looked far enough, he could make out the park beneath him where he and mingyu took a walk. it was chilly at night; wonwoo sniffled. 

he clicked on the lamp nearby and began flipping through wonu’s drawing carefully. wonwoo thought that they told as much as his entries did, as long as he could interpret them. 

there was a nicely done city skyline with crooked walls and pink windows, a dog with a careful oval body and wagging tail, a self portrait— a small boy in a red shirt, dark scribbles surrounding him like a cloud of sadness.

wonwoo stared. wonu stared back. the little boy in the drawing called for help. 

then, the floor in the living room creaked with the weight of someone else. wonwoo jerked, twisting around to see mingyu leaning against the threshold of the room, rubbing his eyes and clutching the bedsheets around him. he hardly looked like a cool caregiver now.

when he saw wonwoo and realized he wasn’t little anymore, his expression contorted— or crumbled— softened? his lips jutted out into a pout, a silent plea. “ _hyung_ , please come back to bed. you need rest, baby.”

wonwoo felt small although not little as mingyu stepped closer, blanket dragging silently across the floor until he sat beside him. mingyu laid his head on his boyfriend’s shoulder, humming in content.

the older’s thoughts disappeared as mingyu cuddled closer. he latched onto his arm, ready to drift back into slumber, although wonwoo would never let him sleep on the floor. wonwoo was appeased, relaxed.

he didn’t know exactly who wonu was, why he needed him like he did or how he came about— but he did know that mingyu would be there every step of the way to take care of him. through every nightmare, through every stressful project and event in his life, wonwoo would always have the support system he needed.

and like that, they trusted each other.

**Author's Note:**

> hello! since ive read almost every little space fic in this fandom tag, i decided to fill the void a little bit with some soft meanie i wrote awhile back. i would really like to make a second oneshot that expands on them and includes seoksoo.
> 
> if you liked this, please let me know ;-; i love talking to people about works and anything will do.


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